August 9, 2012 -- A new information exchange focused on heating, ventilating and cooling systems (HVAC) is now available for public review and comment. HVAC experts, architects, engineers, builders, specifiers, facility managers, manufacturers and others involved with HVAC and the construction process are requested to provide input on the HVAC information exchange (HVACie).

The purpose of HVACie is to ensure that products, product assemblies, properties and connections between pipes, ducts and other HVAC equipment are properly represented in the building information model (BIM).

A group of experts from the United States and abroad, including representatives from ASHRAE, completed the technical documentation and examples for this open information exchange. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) published the draft document.

Once finalized, HVACie will be submitted for potential inclusion in the National BIM Standard-United States™. It is just one of a number of active information exchange projects currently being developed in association with the National Institute of Building Sciences
buildingSMART alliance .

The
National Institute of Building Sciences , authorized by public law 93-383 in 1974, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to identify and resolve building process and facility performance problems. The Institute serves as an authoritative source of advice for both the private and public sectors with respect to the use of building science and technology. For more information, please visit
www.nibs.org .